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Sidewalk cafes, edgy boutiques and independent shops mix with chain stores and fast-food
restaurants in the Fifth by Northwest neighborhood.

But plans for continued commercial growth in the neighborhood just north of Grandview Heights
mobilized residents to organize an area commission, whose development plan was approved by the
Columbus City Council last week.

"Developers have had free rein for so many years," said Becky Obester, chairwoman of the Fifth
by Northwest Area Commission. "As a neighborhood, we want to maintain walkability. We want to
encourage development, but we want it to be urban and keep green space."

Neighbors had objected to the new Walgreens store at 5th and Grandview avenues because a Giant
Eagle supermarket with a pharmacy was already across the street and a CVS drugstore was one block
down. They also had wanted the building closer to the street with a more traditional look, such as
a red brick facade, Obester said.

The new development plan gives business owners a glimpse of what residents want to see in the
future, said Mark Dravillas, the city's neighborhood-planning manager. It calls for maintaining
green space and a pedestrian-friendly community while preserving the neighborhood's character.

The plan is only a guideline for businesses to follow.

"For a given developer, when they bring a proposal forward, they will know if it is consistent"
with what neighbors want, Dravillas said.

The side streets are lined with older homes and duplexes mixed with new condominiums such as the
Metropolitan and Broadview Mews on 3rd Avenue. More than 80 percent are rentals. The variety of
shops and restaurants within walking distance is drawing more residents and developers to the area,
Obester said.

Corey Linden, 30, and his wife, Stacia, 31, moved to the neighborhood three years ago to be
close to his job at Ohio State University and the amenities in Grandview Heights while paying lower
Columbus taxes.

"This little nook we are in allows us to be a part of this great community but not pay for it,"
Mrs. Linden said. The couple have three children, ages 9 months to 5 years.

The stretch of Grandview Avenue north of 3rd Avenue is part of the Fifth by Northwest
neighborhood.

"That's kind of the heart of our community," Obester said. "Grandview Avenue is Main Street
U.S.A. for us."

The fire in January that caused $3 million in damage to 23 businesses on Grandview Avenue had a
big impact on the neighborhood. Up the street from the fire-scarred building, Maggie Ailabouni
plans to open the Taza Fresh Mediterranean Eatery at 1439 Grandview Ave. in June.

"It's a very eclectic area, very culturally diverse," Ailabouni said. "The clientele there is
open-minded. It makes me very encouraged to start the business there."

Rife's Market at 5th and Grandview is an independent grocery that opened 73 years ago in the
neighborhood.

"This is home," said owner Mary Kay Rife, 46, who has worked at the family business for 32
years. "It wouldn't be the same anywhere else."

The area became home to industries and a major railroad line in the early 1900s. In the late
1920s, shops and banks sprang up along Grandview Avenue; the Fifth by Northwest neighborhood was
annexed to Columbus in 1922.

Goodwill Columbus, 1331 Edgehill Rd., has been in the neighborhood for 70 years. The nonprofit
organization renovated its 160,000-square-foot building rather than move because of its
relationship with the neighborhood, said Marjory Pizzuti, president and chief executive officer of
Goodwill Columbus.

The 23 people who live in the Goodwill building in dormitory-style rooms are embraced by
neighbors, said Tiffany Martin, program director for on-site residence. "We're very accepted when
we go to local restaurants. Everyone here knows who we are."

St. Christopher Catholic Church has been in the neighborhood more than 50 years. Most of the
congregation's 600 families live in the area and send nearly 170 children to the parish's Trinity
Elementary School, said Deacon Dave Kruse, pastoral administrator.

"The ties to the community are very strong," Kruse said, adding that some of the parish's
founding members still live in the area. "Once you move here, you can't but feel the friendliness
and neighborliness of the neighborhood."